The post-holder will join a team of investigators working on the NERC-funded Pushing the Frontiers grant ‘Influence of complex source and environmental source conditions on eruptive plume height’ (PHOENIX), led by Associate Professor Thomas Aubry (University of Oxford). Using a combination of laboratory experiments, field work and numerical modelling, PHOENIX aims to improve our understanding of volcanic plume dynamics which is key to manage hazards posed by explosive volcanism. The post-holder will join a diverse team including co-leaders Eric Breard (University of Edinburgh), Samantha Engwell (British Geological Survey) and Helen Webster (UK Met Office and University of Exeter), as well as projects partners from the UK, France, USA and Italy.
The key responsibility of the post-holder will be to support the setting up of a new experimental system at the University of Oxford, to run and analyse the laboratory experiments, and to use them to advance one-dimensional (1D) models of volcanic plumes. This work will complement 3D plume modelling conducted by a second postdoctoral researcher in Edinburgh, as well as fieldwork conducted by the whole team. The laboratory experiments conducted in Oxford will push the frontiers of analogy between real-world volcanic plumes and small-scale experiment, including a representation of atmospheric stratification, sheared atmospheric wind, and multiphase plume dynamics.
The post-holder will work closely with the team, receive appropriate training, participate to field campaigns, lead publication writing and contribute to coauthored team publications, and present results at international and national conferences and workshops. They will be strongly encouraged and supported by the team in developing their long-term career trajectory, including: i) receiving mentoring for applying to independent research fellowships and/or permanent academic or non-academic positions; ii) being given the opportunity to supervise or mentor postgraduate students; iii) benefiting from a comfortable budget to conduct both project-related activities and activities related to their independent career development; iv) benefiting from the team wide academic and not-academic network, including the British and US Geological Survey, the UK Met Office, the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project, or the Tephra Hazard Modelling commission of the international association of volcanology (IAVCEI); v) benefiting from the exceptional network of academics at the University of Oxford, including the Oxford Volcanology group.
About you
You will hold or be close to the completion of, a relevant PhD/DPhil, including but not limited to Earth Sciences, Physics, Mathematics and Engineering, together with relevant experience. You will possess sufficient specialist knowledge in either volcanic plume dynamics and/or fluid dynamics.
You will be able to work independently, and you must have the ability to manage your own academic research and associated activities. You will have excellent communication skills including a track record of contributing to publications and presentations and an ability to contribute ideas for new research projects.
Experience in experimental geophysical fluid dynamics, proficiency in scientific programming and independently managing a discrete area of a research project are desirable, but not essential.
The deadline for applications is midday on September 11 2025. Interviews will be provisionally held on September 22-24 2025.